Means for operating player-pianos.



S. R. HARCOURT.

MEANS FOR OPERATING PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION HLED MAY 15. 1915.

1,167 Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

It will be obvious that the connector rods are thus conveniently attached to the pedals and readily detached therefrom. As illustrated, the cabinet is placed in proper proximity to the pedals and then the mechanical connections between the pedals and the POWGP-Plilnt Within the cabinet are made. In order that the cabinet may be held firmly against movement due to the action of the power-plant upon the pedals, I provide each side of the cabinet with a slide 3d, mounted in a guide-way 35. At the end of the slide 34 a U-shaped brace 36 is provided and a clamping screw 37 extends through this brace and is adapted for engagement'with the under side of the piano bed, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

When the cabinet has been disposed in proximity to the pedals, the slides are withdrawn and the clamping screws engaged on the under side of the bed. The firm foundation of the cabinet upon the floor and this additional security holds the entire cabinet and its power-plant in place so that the pedals may be firmly and effectively operated upon.

The conductors are led to the motor in any suitable manner, and a switch 38, whereby the circuit of the motor may be controlled, is provided. If desired, this switch 38 may be replaced by a rheostat, so that the speed of the motor 14: may be controlled.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other shock-absorbing mechanism than the one that I have described may be employed, and in fact in some instances it will'be entirely unnecessary to employ any shock-absorbing mechanism.

I desire that the metes and bounds of my invention shall be determined by the scope of the following claims, which I have drawn to include the proper equivalents and so as not to be limited to unessential details which may readily be replaced or eliminated in certain instances without in any way departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a pneumatically operated player piano, pumping pedals for said pneumatically operated player piano, an op erating shaft, means for'rotating said shaft, and means for operatively connecting said pedals and said shaft, said last named means having a resilient element therein through which the movement of said shaft is transmitted to depress the pedals.-

2. In combination, a'pneumatically operated player piano, pumping pedals for said pneumatically operated player piano, a portable power plant adapted for-operative connection to said pumping pedals, said power plant comprising an operating shaft, means for rotating said shaft, and means for operatively connecting said pedals and said shaft, said last named means having a resilient element therein through which the movement of said shaft is transmitted to depress the pedals, and means for clamping said power plant firmly in position in front of said pumping pedals.

3. A cabinet, a shaft in said cabinet, means for operating said shaft, a crank on said shaft, a connecting rod extending from said crank and an L-shaped member for connecting said rod to the top of a player pedal.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of May, A. D. 1915.

STILLWELL R. HARCOURT;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

